h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Welcome little Rosa!
Born on Wednesday the 1st September 2004 at 7.55am.


I've been staying with a pregnant friend of mine for the past 5 weeks as she wanted me to help her out with the birth of her second child (I gave her shiatsu during the birth of her first child 2 years ago.

It's been quite stressful due to my own emotional stuff about my fertility problems, not having any 'alone' time and not to mention living with a noisy 2 year old... . Oh and being away from The Man. Obviously.


She originally thought that she was going to be early and was fussing and stressing, so I decided to go and stay with her 2 weeks early, which meant that The Man and I had to cancel our plans to go to a festival in early August which I wasn't too happy about, but seeing as I'd made a promise to be at the birth and give her shiatsu/support during the labour, I decided that was much more important.
But as soon as I turned up she told me that she thought that she was going to be late, and it the baby wouldn't come until September....


Well her prediction was right!
She was over 2 weeks late and was due to go into hospital on 1st September to be induced, so the day before we were trying everything to try and get this baby to come so that she could have a home birth - everything from magnets on the acupuncture points, having a good session on the saxophone to cumin tea!

She really responded to strong pressure on the acupuncture points in the sacrum and after some of this work she started having weak contractions.
We used some homoeopathic remedies to help make the contractions stronger, and they started getting stronger at about midnight.
The midwife came and told her that she had quite a while to go yet, so she'd come back later.
We spent the next 2 hours resting (to begin with!) and listening to classical music (Ludovico Einaudi) with the lights dimmed and candles burning. Oh and shiatsu of course.
My friend dilated from 1 to 7cm in a couple of hours (hoorah the husband and I thought - it took *ages* with the last baby.... but then that was in hospital), but when the 2nd midwife turned up and we were moved upstairs things slowed down.
It took another 4 hours to dilate the last 3 cm....

To cut a long story short, Rosa was born.

It's such a wonderful, awe-inspiring experience to witness a new person come into the world.
I feel truly blessed.





I've been doing a lot of training in the use of shiatsu in maternity care, and this is what I hope to centre my practice around, as my present shiatsu work in drug rehab is draining to say the least.
This is the website of the woman that I've been training with:

http://www.wellmother.org

It's so lovely to work with pregnant women and their babies.
Amazing to feel the child' energy whilst still in the womb, and how obviously different it can be from the mother's.

Congratulations, LSF! What dedication!

How many hours was the labour in the end?

As far as your fertility is concerned, read what Maggy has to say on her 'Pure Prosperity' website:

Another woman put a picture of herself holding her baby niece in her section on 'good health and happiness in family and friends' and five months later found herself pregnant. She had not wanted children that early in her marriage and she was taking contraception - but she had put out a message to the Universe that she wanted to hold a baby, and it delivered.'

http://web.onetel.net.uk/~maggyw/pp/wheel.html

welcome to , Rosa!

for you, LSF. Babies come when they want to, and not when the rest of us think they should. And that includes the conception.

Hi my dear LSF

Congratulations on being the extra inspiration at the birth of Rosa. You have done a wonderful job.

It was obviously worth all the dedication and self-sacrifice which both you and your Man had to experience, and you will surely be blessed for putting your friend before yourselves.

Much affection

Also Ran1

Do you have Maggy's address?

for LSF and another for Rosa and her Mum

Congratulations to all!

Aw thanks everyone!


The labour was about 7 and 1/2 hours in the end .
Well the painful bit anyway.

I'll have a look at that link a bit later on, thanks for that.

There's lots of stuff going on for me around my fertility, but I'm a bit wary of putting it online!

One really positive thing that has come from this experience is that I have finally got to the place where I can be happy (well nearly...) about my situation: if children aren't in my game plan then it leaves me fully free to pursue my travelling and learning.

LSF, I went through fertility treatment with myy ex-husband and it didn't work. I gave up and assumed I wasn't meant to have children in this life. When little showed up, he was a little miracle and I was getting to the age when becoming pregnant was looking less and less likely. So, if you are meant to have children, they may come in their own sweet time.

AR1 I have Maggys e-mail address. Would you like me to e-mail it to you?

Well done on your good work at the birth. I attended another lovely birth last week. Do you live in the South of England? I'd like to recommend shitsu to my clients.
A couple of my friends have had fertility problems. One adopted two children then fell pregnant in her fourties, the other had IVF and had two children, is now in her fifties and is pregnant naturally. Be happy and continue your good work

excuse the typo. Of course I won't be recommending shitsu's to my clients but shiatsu

Thanks Meg.

It's wonderful to hear these stories of women with fertility problems falling pregnant naturally.

I live in the South West Meg, though I'm thinking of moving nearer to London again due to The Man's job.

I guess I should clarify the whole 'west country' thing as that could mean anything from Wiltshire to Cornwall.

I live nearish Bath.

nice area. I'm in Hampshire. wouldn't fancy living in london but sometimes there's no choice. I only moved here because of Beloved's job. I always feel more comfortable the further west I travel in England

Congrats all round.

Aawwww...almost makes me broody.

Almost.

I'll remember you in my prayers, LSF

Know what you mean. Had a with a 3 month old small person recently and went all gooey That little fuzzy head sends me . Fortunately I have passed the age, and have done my share anyway.

I am currently waiting news of a friend who should be producing about now. Dying to know what she has had

Will break out the when I know all is well.

Websailor

Thanks for that GB.


Meg - I'm due to be working at MIDIRS conference in Cheltenham on Oct 14th, so should be a good chance for a bit of networking... not that I like doing that sort of thing.

http://www.midirs.org/midirs/midweb1.nsf/Y11/B1D965A8FE2C5F0780256EB6002789E6

There is definitely something about holding a newly born person that makes even the hardest part of me go all gooey.

Oh do let us know how your friend got on Websailor!

I will check out the midirs website when I get home tomorrow. I cannot acess anything whilst here at work. I haven't been to a conference for ages.

So how did you friend get on Websailor?

Hi, Leopardskin and all,

Thanks for asking She had a bouncing (very) baby boy on 25th September. 8lb. 14 oz. and at last count 9lb. 8oz. 7.7. was more than enough for me It sounds as if everything was fine.

She is loving motherhood and blooming by the sound of it, though I haven't seen her yet. Pix of the baby are lovely though, and apparently he is very good.

Websailor